Stick your name on it and treble the price...

[emadmoussa]

I saw the Celestron vibration suppression pads in the shop. I went home and dug out mine. 

They're 100% identical, except with a slight change in the rubbery bit colour. Celestron sells these at £55-60, my set was less than £15.

I won't discuss outsourcing, manufacturing process, margin profits, return of investment, or other economic considerations, I just want to sit there and enjoy watching how the brand name psychology is, well, psychology...and doesn't always reflect the actual cost of materials. You're basically paying over £30 for a fancy box with the name 'Celestron' on it - satisfied it's Celestron, a name you feel in good hands with. This is the area where ego and fear meet and sometimes coalesce.  

This is of course not exclusive to Celestron, or this particular item, and is in no way an attempt to belittle Celestron's innovativeness and quality.  

My pads:

Celestron's:

[Knighty2112]

Yes, I have a set of the pink ones too which I got for around £15 second hand. Would never pay the exorbitant price that Celestron and other manufacturers want for them. Sadly, this seems to be the case with all things Astro as as soon as they become anywhere near what might be used in astronomy the price suddenly skyrockets upwards! 

[DirkSteele]

While I have no doubt they are the same (other than colour scheme), it would be interesting to test the performance side by side to see if they truly are under the hood as well.

 

I actually got my Celestron pads for free as part of an offer when I purchased my C11 back in 2002 direct from David Hinds.

[Knighty2112]

My pink ones seem to damp things down pretty well, and quickly, as opposed to them not been used. 

[Davey-T]

15 minutes ago, Knighty2112 said:

My pink ones seem to damp things down pretty well, and quickly, as opposed to them not been used. 

LOL Gus, haven't been following this thread so I had to look at your post to see what it meant 

Dave

[NGC 1502]

 

I wouldn’t be swayed by the name Celestron, or lots of other big brands.

Celestron have in the past, and still do make some great kit. But they also make total rubbish. In my local supermarket just before Christmas I’ve seen Celestron 50mm refractors with a flimsy and spindly mount, two plastic eyepieces and a barlow with fabulous astronomy pics on the box and saying ridiculous high magnifications, all for £40. Closer inspection of the box revealed in tiny writing and hard to find “images may not equal views in telescope”.  I’m very definitely not an equipment snob but this particular scope would only serve to put someone off astronomy for life, rather than be a great introduction.

Whatever the brand, let buyer beware !

Ed.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Hey, but the colour on the Celestron one matches the colour of the Celestron OTAs (not mine, mine is black )!

I actually have red ones, no brand involved. I don't use them that often, as the ground in my garden damps vibrations quite well.

[Alien 13]

Canon are good at adding value for some accessories, a lot of them to be fair are of much better quality but not always..

Alan

[wookie1965]

Can you post a link to the cheap ones please.

[emadmoussa]

3 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

Can you post a link to the cheap ones please.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Opticstar-Heavy-Duty-Vibration-Suppression-Pads-UK/322469101576?hash=item4b14a80008:g:-yQAAOSwhQhY3nO2 

[wookie1965]

1 minute ago, emadmoussa said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Opticstar-Heavy-Duty-Vibration-Suppression-Pads-UK/322469101576?hash=item4b14a80008:g:-yQAAOSwhQhY3nO2 

Cheers for that just ordered some when I use my 5" refractor on the EQ5 it does move quite a bit I can use these and hang a weight from the spreader.

[emadmoussa]

16 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

Cheers for that just ordered some when I use my 5" refractor on the EQ5 it does move quite a bit I can use these and hang a weight from the spreader.

Any time! I really should get some royalties from the seller for that  

[John]

I have some that a Meade branded but the same style - Meade blue sorbothane rather than Celestron Orange !

They don't stop vibrations but any that do occuser seem to dampen a bit more quickly, which is some help.

Twas ever thus with branding pushing the price up in the astro and non-astro world. I have a couple of eyepieces that some brands retail at 3x the price that I paid for the unbranded version.

 

 

[R26 oldtimer]

I am waiting, any moment now, for this thread to come into astronomy stuff with Japanese lettering on it...???

[RiponJas]

I also like Gus got a set secondhand paying only £10 ish.

As mentioned they don't stop vibrations but do seen to dampen them a tad quicker than normal. Anythings a bonus when you have two heavy hoofed lads at home. Amazed they haven't cracked any of the flags out back as yet!!! ? 

Most certainly wouldn't pay anymore for them than what i did though. 

Jas. 

[emadmoussa]

There's the psychological fact that if you pay a lot for them, your subconscious automatically goes into the ''Wow! They're great!" mode. We're programmed to think in terms of expensive inevitably means high quality - which isn't always the case. 

[ollypenrice]

Anything with my name on it really is worth twice the price. Monique, pass me that marker pen, would you...

Olly

PS If you'd rather have a different name on it instead, as well you might, I could write that on instead...

[kirkster501]

Same with many other branded items.  My IT company employer sells computer memory for ten times the price of unbranded memory that appears identical (but lacks the all important warranty).

I recently replaced all brake pads on my BMW Z4.  BMW wanted three times what the [superior] BREMBO pads cost....

It's all about marketing and charging what the market will bare.....

[Hallingskies]

I cut three circles of rubber from a bit of old conveyor belt and used those as anti-vibration pads for years.  They seemed to make a difference.  No brand name though...

[celestron8g8]

I really like all Celestrons equip but some stuff if just ridiculously priced . You can go to the hardware store and get Vibration pads that work just fine for a cheap price or better yet cut chunks out of an old car tire . 

https://m.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200658811_200658811?cm_mmc=Bing-pla&utm_source=Bing_PLA&utm_medium=Air Tools %2B Compressors > Air Compressor Parts %2B Maintenance&utm_campaign=Klutch&utm_content=49494&msclkid=7a4adf5a1e8e1575fcd184274bf0accd

[Alan White]

Branding, yep it’s all a con in my opinion.

So many brands trade on the brand value (name) rather than the product quality, as a non Astro example, we were in an Animal brand store looking at clothes.

The branded ones made in China of course and of variable quality all at £45 per hoodie, but bearing that all important name, for those who care. 

Me wearing my Primark one that cost less than a tenner, looks at both and goes, no thanks, they are the same quality, I will keep the £35 in my pocket and have another Primark one. Same products, perhaps, perhaps not.

 

[mikeDnight]

On 21/08/2018 at 17:14, R26 oldtimer said:

I am waiting, any moment now, for this thread to come into astronomy stuff with Japanese lettering on it...???

I'm not sure I've ever seen Japanese vibration suppression pads. I suppose theyed need to be pretty expensive to stop the effects of the council gritter as it hits the idiot speed hump outside my house at 40 mph in a 20 mph restricted area.